Purcell a healthy scratch vs. Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, MO.» Broncos nose tackle Mike Purcell was a healthy scratch for Sunday night’s game at Kansas City, replaced in the rotation by Mctelvin Agim.
The Broncos returned defensive end Shelby Harris from an ankle injury and opted to keep Agim active, likely because he can provide a better interior pass rush than Purcell.
Agim had a sack in last week’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Purcell, in the first season of a three-year contract, played 243 defensive snaps in nine games; he missed two games with a broken thumb that required surgery.
Primarily a base defense player, Purcell played 19 snaps against the Chargers even though coach Vic Fangio played only three snaps of “base” out of 71.
The other Broncos inactives were running back Melvin Gordon (ankle, ruled out Saturday), quarterback Brett Rypien, safety Jamar Johnson and cornerback Essang Bassey.
Remembering Mills. One of Fangio’s favorite all-time players is the late Sam Mills, who played for Fangio in Philadelphia of the USFL and New Orleans and Carolina in the NFL. Mills, who died of cancer in 2005 at age 45, was inducted into the Saints’ Ring of Fame on Thursday.
“A lot of favorite memories with him,” Fangio said. “We were together in the USFL for two years … part of my duty was the strength coach. Back then, USFL players — this was 1984, mind you — if you weren’t a star, you were making $25,000. In the offseason, Sam had a job at a paper mill and he couldn’t get his workouts in because he had to work so I’d meet him at 5 every night in the weight room at the old Veterans Stadium and he’d get his workout. He never missed.”
Impressed with Sterns. Rookie safety Caden Sterns was back in a sub-package role Sunday night with the return of veteran Kareem Jackson after missing the Chargers game (neck/shoulder). Sterns, a fifthround pick, began to impress even before he was drafted.
“It really started in his pre-draft interview,” defensive backs coach Christian Parker said. “You saw a guy who was aware.”
Sterns entered the Chiefs game with two interceptions and sacks apiece.
“You put a cut-up (video) on the ipad, Caden is going to watch it and he comes back with questions,” Parker said.
Proud father. Rookie cornerback Pat Surtain II said his father, Patrick, didn’t wear an Alabama jersey during his son’s college career, but there he was last week with a No. 2 Broncos jersey with “Surtain II” on the back.
“That was pretty dope,” Pat said. “Just him showing me the support and love he’s been giving me my whole life. For him to be there with me on that big-time stage and that big-time moment, I’m very appreciative of it.”
After his first interception against the Chargers, Surtain dashed to the stands to hand his father the football.